Pete Seeger was born May 3, 1919. He’s a folk singer, a political activist, and an author.

He’s been making music and telling stories for years. His folksy style of singing draws kids and adults into his stories and gets them to participate. Pete Seeger has always had a place in my boys’ music collection. I believe Pete’s ability to weave a story may have influenced their love of listening to and telling their own stories.

Celebrate Pete Seeger’s birthday by reading or listening to Abiyoyo.
He retells the story (adapted from a South African lullaby and folk tale) and sets it to music. The story is about a boy and a father who are forced to leave their village when the townspeople tire of their music and magic tricks. Later when the boy and his dad meet the giant, Abiyoyo, they craft a clever plan to get rid of him and save the townspeople. It’s a fun story that will probably make your kids sing and even dance around. It definitely got my boys up and moving.

More fun with Abiyoyo:– LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow tells us how to make musical instruments with paper plates, beans, a stapler and markers. Your kids can play along with the story.

– Listen to a clip of Pete Seeger’s Abiyoyo at the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings website. This is great site to search for your favorite music. If you like what you hear, you can add to your music collection.

Anisa Raoof is the publisher of Kidoinfo.com. She combines being a mom with her experience as an artist, designer, psych researcher and former co-director of the Providence Craft Show to create the go-to spot for families in Rhode Island and beyond. She loves using social media to connect parents with family-related businesses and services and promoting ways for parents to engage offline with their kids.
Anisa believes in the power of working together and loves to find ways to collaborate with others. An online enthusiast, still likes to unplug often by reading books and magazines, drawing, learning to knit, making pop-up books with her two sons and listening to records with her husband.